Czech anti-organised crime police note rise in cybercrime, tax fraud

The Czech police unit charged with combatting organised crime (NCOZ) has
released its annual report outlining developments in the sector. Among
other things, it points to a rise in cybercrime and tax fraud using bogus
‘chains of companies’.

Reported incidences of cybercrime increased by 1,161 to 6,815 last year it
said. Most related to bogus online shops and ‘phishing’ attacks, where
sites extract and exploit users’ data and accounts. It also noted a
slight increase in the spread of extortionate ‘ransomware’.

The NCOZ report noted high levels of tax evasion and fraud among Vietnamese
and Chinese businesses, which it said often use “chains of companies”
to mask transactions. It said there had also been a rise in such financial
crime by Slovak-owned entities, particularly among employment agencies.

It further noted an increase in confiscated forgeries of ID cards and
papers especially from Romania, Poland and Lithuania. The illegal
employment of foreigners in the Czech Republic brings with it organised
criminal gangs, the report said, noting Ukrainians represent the largest
number of foreigners here illegally.

Babiš: Zeman will decide on Social Democrat Culture Minister in mid-August

President Miloš Zeman will accept the resignation of Culture Minister
Antonín Staněk by the end of July and decide on whether Michal Šmarda,
the Social Democrat nominee, will succeed him in mid-August, Prime Minister
Andrej Babiš tweeted after a meeting with the president in the latter’s
Lány residence on Wednesday.

The leader of the Social Democrats, Jan Hamáček said that he will discuss
the results of the Lány meeting with the prime minister on Thursday.
However, he continues to insist on the nomination of Michal Šmarda.

If the situation goes along the lines described by the prime minister, the
Ministry of Culture will not have a leader for two weeks in August. Mr.
Babiš told the newspaper Lidové Noviny that this short period will not
impact the ministry. The government is on holiday between August 1-26.

According to Mr. Babiš, Deputy Minister of Live Art Kateřina Kalistová
(Social Democrats), could temporarily fill the role.

Senate votes in favour of constitutional complaint against president

The upper house of Czech Parliament voted in favour of a proposal for a
constitutional complaint against President Miloš Zeman. The proposal
received 48 votes on Wednesday, while 20 senators voted against and 7
abstained. If the proposal also receives support from the majority of the
lower house, it will reach the constitutional court. However, this is
unlikely, due to the ruling ANO-Social Democrat coalition, supported by the
Communist Party, holding a majority in the Chamber of Deputies. The Freedom
and Direct Democracy Party, which seems likely to support the president as
well, controls a further 19 seats.

The impulse for the draft complaint is the alleged influencing of the
judiciary by President Zeman and his staff. The president’s recent
unwillingness to accept the resignation of Culture Minister Antonín
Staněk has also been added into the complaint.

In mid-June President Zeman dismissed the accusation, saying that it was a
sign of constitutional illiteracy.

Groundwater levels remain at the lowest average points since the 1960s,
according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, despite the heavy
rain of recent days.

Soil drought afflicts nearly two-thirds of Czech territory with no relief
in sight.

Meteorologists say sustained rain and isolated thunderstorms will only
raise humidity levels in the upper soil strata, and only in certain areas.

Klára Kolouchová becomes first Czech woman to climb all three of
world’s highest mountains

Czech mountaineer Klára Kolouchová reached the top of K2 mountain located
in the Himalayas on Thursday morning, making her the first Czech woman to
successfully ascend all three of the world‘s highest peaks. Kolouchová
climbed Mount Everest in 2007 and Kangchenjunga, the world’s third
highest mountain, this May.

The Czech mountaineer managed to make it to the top of K2, often seen as
the most difficult and dangerous mountain to ascend, on her third attempt.
Previously she had been stopped by avalanches and nausea. She is currently
working on a documentary film with director Jana Počtová about her quest
to get to peak of K2.

Syphilis cases on the rise in EU, up 70 pct in Czechia from 2010-17

Syphilis cases are on the rise throughout Europe, the European Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned.

In the Czech Republic, ECDC data show a 70 percent increase in reported
cases between the years 2010 and 2017, the last year for which complete
data is available.

Despite the rise in reported cases, the Czech rate of infection is less
than half the European Union average.

Some 30,000 syphilis cases were reported in the 28 EU Member States in
2016, when the average incidence rate was 6.1 cases per 100, 000 people.

12 singers advance to finals round of Operalia competition in Prague

Twelve young opera singers have advanced to the finals round of Plácido
Domingo's annual Operalia competition, now underway at the Czech
National Theatre in Prague.

The finalists, selected from 40 young singers from across the globe, will
compete for prizes of up to USD 30,000 each in the final-round concert on
Friday evening.

The general competition awards first, second and third prizes for male and
female singers, while just two prizes are bestowed to a man and a woman in
the zarzuela division.

Friday’s final-round concert will be live-streamed on medici.tv as well
as via Operalia’s Facebook page, and will feature the finalists
performing alongside an orchestra conducted by Domingo himself.

Karel Gott cancels Benátská noc festival appearance due to pneumonia

Pop singer Karel Gott, who turned 80 last month, has cancelled an
appearance at the upcoming Benátská noc festival in Liberec due to acute
pneumonia, a spokesperson said.

Gott was due to perform on Thursday, the eve of the festival, at the
traditional "Party for the Impatient" (Večírek pro
nedočkavé). It was to have been his last public performance this year.

The festival setting is considered to be the most beautiful in the Czech
Republic. It traditionally features headliners in three musical genres over
three days: rock on Friday, pop on Saturday and folk music on Sunday.